


A Blind Date

by Buffyworldbuilder, lateVMlover (Buffyworldbuilder)



Series: Fast Encounters [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Fast & Furious (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24996829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/lateVMlover
Summary: Riley Finn's wife, Sam, sets Buffy up on a blind date with a man, Luke Hobbs, who used to work for the government. Luke Hobbs has only recently been read in to the supernatural, but he has no idea his date is in the know.
Series: Fast Encounters [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800328
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own BTVS or Fast & the Furious or their characters

_*****Hobbs*****_

What was he doing here? How did he let that woman talk him into a blind date? After the last mess with Dom pretending to go bad and getting his kid, Hobbs was feeling a drift. His little girl wasn't so little anymore. A teenager, she turned more and more to her mother for advice, and then his ex remarried, giving his daughter an extended family. Hobbs was feeling lonely, and then he met a team that recruited him for occasional jobs defending American cities from real monsters. Finding out that actual demons existed didn't disturb Hobbs as much as finding out young girls were the ones who mostly fought them. The idea that girls not much older that his daughter were out fighting demons and risking their life disturbed him on so many levels—it wasn't right.

Riley Finn and his wife went all over the world with their team, taking out creatures preying on humans. Hobbs was working now for the DEA, so he didn't spend too much time with them. However, he helped them take out some demon nest in the desert of Nevada. After seeing what monsters were really out there, he just didn't have it in him to go back to pretending the world was normal again. He and Riley had become friends. His daughter occasionally babysat for their four-year-old daughter.

Sam cornered him at their daughter's birthday a few weeks ago, insisting he needed a personal life.

"You are too hot and too great of a guy to be single," Sam had told him. Then she recruited her husband. "Riley, who do we know that would be a good set up for Luke?"

"How would I know?" Riley said. "What kind of girl do you like? Brunette? Redhead? Leggy blonde?"

"The package doesn't matter as much as the inside," Hobbs replied. "I've dated various body types. My ex was a tall brunette. I just like strong women."

Sam grinned. "Well, I think I know just the gal," she said. "Riley's ex Buffy."

"Buffy?" Hobbs said, wrinkling his nose. "With a name like that, how strong can she be?"

"You'd be surprised," Riley said with smile. "She looks like a valley girl, but she's tough—stronger than me. A better fighter, too."

"Your ex is a fighter?" he asked, intrigued. He looked at Sam. "You want to fix up your husband's ex?"

"Buffy is an incredible woman. She's not had much luck in the love department. I think Ri was the last decent guy she dated," she said.

"So you ruined her for other guys, huh?" Hobbs said with a wink.

"More like she ruined me. She was like moving water—I could never contain her. I didn't like that she didn't seem to need me. Not a good thing to admit about yourself, but I learned a lot about myself when I dated Buffy—most of it not good. She destroyed my world and made it better at the same time. I didn't think I would ever get over her," Riley shared, surprising Hobbs. He glanced at his wife and smiled. "Then I met Sam and figured out what being a true partner really meant."

"See, Buffy's great. She just a whole lot of woman," Sam said with smirk. "Too much for my guy here."

Riley grimaced but didn't argue. "She's in Los Angeles now, relocated after another ex of hers was killed in a gang war of sorts," he said. He didn't feel like it was his place to tell all Buffy's secrets.

Hobbs was intrigued to meet a woman who nearly ruined Riley, but he seemed to not be bitter or angry toward her.

That's how he ended up a week later at a Mexican restaurant waiting for his date. Hobbs couldn't remember the last time he'd been either on a date or a blind date. Maybe when he was twenty-two one of his roommates had fixed him up with a girl. He felt ridiculous as he was practically middle-aged and being fixed up with a woman who wasn't yet thirty. Hobbs had exchanged a phone call and a few texts with Buffy, so they weren't complete strangers. She'd sent him a picture, so he knew that Riley had good taste.

The picture was a close of up of her and her sister. It wasn't her attractive features that drew Hobbs, though. It was the look in her eyes—her beautiful green ones. She seemed a bit haunted and determined, and this intrigued him. Her blonde hair had been pulled back, and she and her sister were sitting in front of a Christmas tree, so it was a holiday picture.

His table was facing the host stand, so he could watch for her. When she appeared and walked toward him, he was conflicted. She was obviously just an inch or two over five foot, but she was wearing four-inch heels—red ones that contrasted with her sexy black dress. Her hair was long and flowing—something he hadn't seen in her picture as it had been pulled back. She was gorgeous and seemed untouchable as she walked toward his waving hand.

How could this woman be a fighter? Riley must've meant a fighter in spirit.

For Buffy, the date was a welcome distraction. She'd spent a few years after Sunnydale in Europe gathering and training newly called slayers. Now, however, Giles and Willow had things well in hand. Xander and Dawn were in New York while she finished up her graduate degree at Columbia. Buffy came back to home to Los Angeles after Spike was killed in a battle with Angel and Illyria. Angel still had the visions, so Buffy and the slayers she had in town helped him whenever something big happened. Losing Spike again was bittersweet, and she'd been surprised to find that she and Angel could work together without their past baggage. Affection and respect for the other tied them together, but sometimes working with him made Buffy feel lonely. It was natural that she'd sometimes think about what could never be between them.

Sam and Riley had noticed her melancholy when they met for dinner a few weeks ago. She'd missed their daughter's birthday and had a gift to pass on for the precocious little girl. Somehow, she'd agreed to meet this friend of theirs. He'd worked with them on a demon hunt, so Buffy knew that he was aware of the supernatural and slayers. However, they hadn't told him that she herself was the original slayer or what exactly she was capable of.

Buffy wanted to decide for herself if this Luke guy was worth sharing her secret identity with. Sam had warned Buffy that Luke was very tall and muscular. However, when she approached the table and he stood, she was startled by his sheer size.

"Oh my God!" she said without thinking. "You're so big!"

Hobbs look down at her and said, "And you're so not."

Buffy stared at him a long moment, and then she laughed. "I'm sorry. That was kind of rude," she said. She held out her hand. "Buffy Summers."

"Luke Hobbs," he said, taking her tiny hand in his. He was careful not to squeeze too hard, but she had quite a firm grim. "It's nice to meet you. May I?" He pulled out the chair for her, giving her a friendly smile.

"Thank you," Buffy said, flushing. He was so incredibly large and insanely attractive. That smile, though, made her insides quiver.

The server came to the table, placing chips and salsa in the center. "Do you want a glass of wine?" Hobbs asked.

Buffy had developed a taste for it after her time in Europe—it was so much better than beer. A glass with dinner didn't affect her the way the cursed beer had back in Sunnydale. "A glass of red would be nice," she said.

"I'll take the same," Hobbs said, pointing to a brand he liked.

"Very good, sir," the server said.

Buffy reached for a chip. "I'm starving," she said.

"Well, you'll be pleased with the portion size here," Hobbs told her.

Buffy looked over the menu. "Oh, they have a sampler plate! I don't have to pick!" she said.

Hobbs laughed. "I'm glad to find out you're not one of those women who pick at their salads," he remarked.

"I have really fast metabolism, so I tend to eat a lot," she said with a sheepish grin.

The server brought them wine and took their orders. "So tell me about yourself," Buffy asked. "Sam said you used to work for the government but mostly freelanced now."

"I'm not a mercenary," he said quickly. "I do some work with the DEA, but I just don't see things a black and white as I once did. I made some friends who were often quick to bend or break the law. They weren't murderers or drug dealers, but they weren't exactly upstanding citizens. Learning how and why they operated forced me to reconsider my unbending world view."

Buffy was impressed. "That's understandable," she said. "I lived in a town that was overrun with criminal element, and the mayor was behind all the corruption. That meant the town cops were totally inept. My friends and I formed a club of sorts to help keep people we went to school with safe. I was branded by the principal of my school as a trouble maker. He even tried to pin a murder on me."

"Really?" Hobbs asked in surprise.

"I came into the school library after some gang members broke in and murdered one friend and hospitalized a few others," she said. "He came in to the library to find me checking on Kendra—the friend that was murdered—and jump to the wrong conclusion that I had killed her. He even told the cops that."

Hobbs winced. "That had to have been ugly," he said.

"It was. That was my junior year of high school," she said. "It preceded some dark days, but I managed to get through it. It did teach me to have very little faith in law enforcement. Of course, as I got older, I learned that not all cops were bad."

"No, they're not," he said. "But we're like everyone else—doing a job. There's good ones and bad ones. Unfortunately, a few bad ones can ruin it for the rest of us."

"Very true," she said.

"So what do you do for a living?" he asked.

"I do private security mostly," she said.

"Really?" he asked. "I've been thinking of someday getting into that with my background. It's a natural progression."

"It is," she agreed. "A friend of mine has a private detective firm. Sometimes, he has clients that need more protection than he can provide, so I lend a hand."

"Riley mentioned that you were a fighter, but I thought he might've meant you just had a fighting spirit," Hobbs admitted.

"I know I don't look like much of a fighter," she said. "I don't have your obvious muscles, but I'm stronger than I look. Plus, I've been studying various forms of martial arts since I was fourteen."

Hobbs was surprised. "I wouldn't have guessed that," he said. The server arrived with their food, interrupting.

They both dug into their food, and a companionable silence sprung up. When Buffy was halfway through her plate of food, she paused to sip her wine.

Hobbs was watching her in bemusement.

"What?" she asked.

"I just have never seen anyone but my daughter eat like that," he said.

"I told you I was hungry," she said with a slight pout.

"Yes, you did," he admitted, nodding.

"So you have a daughter?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, her name is Samantha," he shared. "She's thirteen."

"Does she live with you?" Buffy asked.

"Part-time," Hobbs answered. "Her mom and I split up when she was about four. My job was too demanding and not very good on the marriage."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's fine," he said. "We split before things got ugly, and we're good friends. She's done an amazing job with Sam."

"I'm friends with all my exes—not that there's that many," Buffy said.

"Yes, I guess you'd have to be since one of them help arrange this date," Hobbs teased. "I am duly impressed. You not only stayed friends with Riley, but you got his wife to like you, too."

"Sam's pretty amazing," Buffy said. "I met her when I was at a really low point—the lowest in my life in many ways. And she was just so cool. She didn't try to belittle me or make me feel bad. It hurt that Riley moved on so fast, but she was just so great that I couldn't help but like her."

"She is pretty amazing," Hobbs agreed. "It's something to do with the name—all great women are named Sam."

Buffy laughed. "That must be it," she said.

The two talked of innocuous things, enjoying each other's company. Hobbs suggested they walk a few blocks to an ice-cream parlor for dessert. Buffy quickly agreed as she didn't want the evening to end. He was such an appealing man that she wanted to spend more time with him. His humor and wit were quick, but he clearly loved his daughter. Who could resist a man who loved his girl and got along well with his ex? He wasn't bitter or broken—it was a nice change for her. It'd been a long time since Buffy had spent time with anyone that wasn't more than a little damaged.

The problem occurred as they walked in front of an alley entrance. Buffy could hear a clear sound of a struggle and a woman cry out for help. "There's a woman being attacked in there," she said, pointing into the alleyway.

Before Hobbs could react, she raced down the alley. He followed after her, watching her engage without hesitation in a fight with a man. However, when the man stepped into the light, Hobbs saw that he wasn't human. "Is that a demon?" he asked her.

"You work with Ri and Sam, so you know about vamps, right?" Buffy asked. The girl took off running out of the alley while Buffy kicked the monster hard in the stomach.

Hobbs couldn't believe how far the vampire flew. "Do you need any help?" he asked even though it was clear that she didn't.

"Nah, I got it," she said.

"Slayer, I'm going to drink all your blood," the vampire threatened as he jumped up and attacked Buffy.

"I've heard that before," Buffy said. "Luke, grab my purse over there and toss me the stake inside."

Hobbs felt like he'd entered the Twilight Zone as he reached for her purse and opened it. Sure enough, there was a wooden stake inside. Quickly, he grabbed it. "Here," he said and tossed it to her.

Buffy's hand came up and caught it right before she plunged it into the thing's chest. Hobbs was a bit rattled when the thing turned to dust. Sure, Riley had given him a run down on vampires, but they'd never come across any when Hobbs was working with him. Seeing it firsthand was surreal.

"Thanks for the assist," Buffy said.

"You're welcome?" Hobbs said with a question. "So that was a vampire?"

"Yep," she said.

Hobbs was looking at intently, and then it occurred to him. "You're one of those vampire slayers I heard about?" he asked.

"Yep," she said, opening her purse to put the stake away and take out her comb.

"Aren't you kind of old? I thought it was young girls," he said.

"That's true," she said. "I was fourteen when I was called."

"That means that. . ." his voice trailed off as he considered what she said. "It's you! You're the slayer that changed everything."

"So they tell me," Buffy said, suddenly feeling shy as the man walked closer to her. He was looking at her in a way she'd not seen in a very long time.

He'd heard stories about a slayer that had saved the world countless times and convinced her best friend to do a spell to activate all the slayers at once, tipping the balance and closing a hellmouth. This was the woman the guys spoke about with such whispered awe. How come Riley never told him?

Hobbs slowly reached out and cupped her cheek, cradling it in his large, warm hand. "Thank you. Thank you for saving the world more than once," he said. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

The giant of a man was too tall, so Buffy's arms went around his waist as she returned his kiss.

When he pulled back and smiled at her, Buffy asked, "So it's okay? Me having superstrength? The ability to kick any regular guy's ass, including yours doesn't freak you out?"

"I think it's hot," he said with a wink. Then he took her hand in his. "Let's go get that ice-cream."

Buffy kept looking up at him as they walked back to the street. Was he for real? "You know that's what broke Riley and me up. He didn't like that I was stronger than him."

"I'm not Riley," he said. "But that wasn't why it didn't work."

"Did he tell you that?" Buffy asked, surprised.

"He said you didn't need him," Hobbs said. "Some men need their woman to need them. I like when a woman doesn't need me but chooses to be with me anyway."

Buffy smiled up at him. She had a feeling that this would a man who would not run when things got bad.

"Good answer," she said.

Hobbs felt a peace settle inside as he walked another block to the ice-cream parlor while Buffy sensed that this would be one of many times that they'd be eating ice-cream together.

As far as first dates went, they both knew this one was a good one.

_*****Chapter End*****_


	2. The Shovel Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reviewer mentioned the shovel speech, and I thought it’d be a good scene to add to this one.

_******A Month Later******_

Buffy decided that after a month of dating Luke, it was safe to introduce him to her friends. It was Xander’s birthday, so they were flying into New York to spend the weekend with him and her sister. Xander was in charge of a slayer house there, and Dawn lived on campus. However, she was frequently at Xander’s, and she was staying the weekend since Buffy was in town.

As the plane flew over the Midwest, Buffy looked up at Luke, who was cat-napping next to her. It was still hard to believe that they had just had their one-month anniversary. After the blind date, they spent every day together for the next week. She waited at least that long to sleep with him. Being with him had reminded her of how stale her love life had become before him. It had been one of the best nights of her life. He was tender and passionate, and he had stamina. 

Buffy grinned as she thought about his stamina.

Hobbs opened his eyes a slit and saw her grinning at him. “What are you smiling about?” he asked, reaching for her hand and putting it to hsi lip. Never had he believed a woman like her existed for him. After his first date with her, he brought over an expensive cut of steaks for Rylie and Sam. They were very smug about how right they were about Buffy, but he didn’t mind their gloating. They _had_ been right—she was incredible.

“I was smiling about you,” Buffy said, her smile turning coy.

He sat up and leaned down. “Oh yea?” he asked. “Why?”

Buffy leaned up and nipped at his earlobe. “I was thinking of your stamina,” she whispered.

Instantly, Hobbs felt all the blood rush to his nether regions and groaned. “You are an evil woman,” he said.

Buffy laughed and kissed him. Then she laid her head against him, so he moved his arm to wrap around her.

Hobbs thought about the past few weeks and the deceptively fragile woman in his arms.

Buffy was a contradiction in so many ways. After a month, he felt that he was just scratching the surface of who she was. Sometimes, she appeared carefree and innocent. Other times, she was quiet and still, the weight of the world seeming to weight her down. Yet she could turn into a ball of energy, bouncing around like a teenager. Then there were his favorite times—when she was a siren who could bring him to his knees with just a look.

Hobbs hadn’t felt like this since he’d been young and with Samantha’s mother. Although he had several years on Buffy, he felt like she was his perfect match. 

Last weekend, she’d finally met Dom and the gang.

_Flashback_

_After three weeks of dating, Hobbs decided it was time for his daughter to meet Buffy. Earlier in the week, Samantha had noticed a change in him_ _after two weeks of dating Buffy._

 _“So, Dad, are you going to tell me_ _why you’ve been smiling so much lately? I mentioned it to Mom, and she said you probably were seeing someone. Are you?” she asked, grinning at him._

_Hobbs didn’t like lying to his daughter and nodded. “Actually, I am. Her name is Buffy Summers, and Riley and Sam fixed me up with her. She’s an old friend of Riley’s,” he shared._

_“Cool,” Samantha said. “When do I get to meet her?”_

_Luke shrugged and decided if she was unconcerned, neither should he be._

_That Saturday, they had gone to the zoo, a place that would allow Buffy to move around, and it would delight his daughter. They hadn’t been to the place in years._

_His daughter was surprised at Buffy’s appearance and gave him a thumbs up behind her back. Buffy had been really nervous to meet his daughter, but her experience with girls didn’t keep the nerves there for long. She was just too good with teenage girls, and it didn’t take long for his daughter and his new girlfriend to be totally relaxed in each other’s presence._

_That’s when they ran into Dominic and Letty. They were with Dom’s son, little Brian._

_“Well, this is a surprise,” Dominic said when he spotted the former DEA agent._

_Hobbs grinned. “Yes, it is,” he said. He held out his hand and Dom shook it. “Hello, Dom. Letty. How have you been?”_

_“Great,” Dom said. “Looks like we had the same good idea.” He glanced curiously at Buffy and Samantha._

_“This is my daughter Samantha and my girlfriend Buffy,” Hobbs introduced._

_Dom gave a low whistle. “The Big Guy has good taste,” he said. He shook Buffy’s hand. “This is my wife, Letty and our son Brian.”_

_His girls admired the adorable little boy and chatted with Letty while he and Dom stepped aside._

_“She looks a bit young,” Dom said with a smirk._

_“She’s not that young,” Hobbs said with a glare._

_“I didn’t know you liked the Barbie doll types,” Dom said, enjoying a rare chance to tease the big guy._

_“Believe me, Buffy is no Barbie doll,” Hobbs said, grinning. If only Dom knew exactly what Buffy was capable of. . ._

End of Flashback

The group had toured the zoo together for an hour before separating. Dom had invited them to his place for a family dinner the next day. Buffy had been a big hit. Roman had flirted and tried to win her from Hobbs, and Buffy had just laughed, enjoying his audacity. Brian and Buffy had bonded over their love of beaches while Mia and Buffy talked food. None of them could believe how much food the tiny woman could pack away.

Now that she had met his friends and daughter, he was looking forward to meeting her sister and friends.

**** _*A Few Hours Later*****_

Although Buffy had posted a picture of her new guy on Facebook, Xander was still surprised at the sheer size of the man.

“Oh, wow, Buff. You weren’t kidding! He’s soooo big!” Xander exclaimed in awe as he looked up at the imposing man.

Hobbs grinned down at Buffy’s one-eyed best friend. He had heard so many stories about Buffy’s white knight that he felt like he knew the man. He held out his hand. “It’s a real pleasure to finally meet the man who saved Buffy’s life more than once,” he said.

His acknowledgement of Xander’s past aid caught Xander off guard. No one had ever thanked him for anything—Buffy hadn’t even. He did _not_ count her sexy dance an apology right before their junior year started. “That’s not nearly as much as she saved my life,” Xander said, shaking his hand. “Great to meet you.”

Buffy was excited to be with her sister and friends again. When Faith showed up the next day along with Willow, her joy was a sight to behold. Hobbs looked at her like he had never seen her before.

Dawn was standing next to Xander watching Buffy greet Willow and Faith, introducing them to Hobbs. Both women looked a bit awestruck at her new man. Dawn laughed at the scene. “Man, I can’t believe Buffy found a guy that hot and sweet. He’s like a giant, deadly teddy bear,” she remarked.

“That’s true,” Xander acknowledged. “What if he breaks her heart?”

“If things don’t work out, it’ll bring _my_ heart!” Dawn insisted. “Just think about how beautiful my future niece and nephew will be!”

Faith told Buffy, “Damn, girl. Is his dick as big has his forearm? What do I have to do to get a night with him?” she asked, giving Hobbs a wink.

“Over my head body,” Buffy said, glaring at her.

“That’s okay. Will here will just resurrect you. If you kill me, I bet I’ll die happy and well satisfied!” Faith said with a smug grin.

Hobbs actually felt his face get a little hot at the woman’s graphic come-on. Although Buffy had warned him, he still felt a bit out of his depth with this much sexual aggression targeted his way. “I’m not for sale,” he said, giving Faith a cold look.

Faith burst out laughing. “Well, of course not, beefcake. If you were, I’d have to beat you real good—maybe even make you cry—probably for the first time ever by the look of you,” she said.

“Ignore her,” Buffy said as she held on to his arm and looked up at him with a warm smile. “She doesn’t get out much, and when she does, her companions are demons and vampires.”

“I don’t know, Buffy,” Willow said. “He needs to know that if he hurts you, he’ll answer to us—and possibly end up in a nice, unfriendly hell dimension.”

“Willow!” Buffy said, losing her smile.

Xander and Dawn decided to join in. “I’ll put his number on the bathroom of every demon bar I find and write the words, ‘For a bad time call,’” Dawn added.

“Hey, girls, cut it out,” Xander said to them. “You know none of that is necessary.”

“Thanks, Xander,” Buffy said, giving him an improving smile.

“I have my shovel out in the shed. We’ll just bury the body here on the property, so we can keep him close,” Xander said, giving Hobbs a look of warning.

Buffy couldn’t believe how rude her friends were being. “Okay, now you’re starting to piss me off!” she said.

Hobbs, though, laughed. “It’s okay, Buffy. They’re just watching out for you,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. He looked at the group. “You guys have nothing to worry about. I don’t plan on hurting Buffy in any way. How could I?” He looked at Buffy and then leaned down to kiss her. As he pulled away, he said, “I love her.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in surprise. “You do?” she asked. They’d become very close, but neither had said those very important three words.

“Yes, Buffy, I do love you,” Hobbs said again. He sometimes felt like he’d always loved her, and he knew she would be the last woman he would ever love. It was time to make sure that she knew that.

“I love you, too,” Buffy said softly.

The friends clapped and whistled as the couple kissed.

When they pulled up for air, Dawn was the first to speak. “So, Luke, I have this photo album I brought that has some pictures of Buffy. Would you like to see it?” she said, giving Buffy a wink.

“Pictures? Which pictures?” Buffy asked narrowing her eyes at her sister.

“I’d love to,” Luke said eagerly.

As Dawn pulled her lover away, Xander put his own arm around her. “I think this one might be a keeper, Buff,” he said.

Buffy leaned her head against Xander and gave a sigh of contentment. “I think so, too,” she said. 

Luke Hobbs was a man of strength and commitment, who had a sense of fair play that was rare. He didn’t feel less because of Buffy’s strength but proud.

Buffy felt incredibly blessed as she moved to sit on Luke’s other side while Dawn went through the photo album.

As for Luke, a sense of peace settled over him as he looked through the images of the woman he had grown to love completely in such a short time. Every ponytail and smile or disgruntled expression of her as a kid made him laugh. Loyal friends just completed her perfect package.

He was one lucky dude.

***** _The End*****_

_I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading._


End file.
